The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 24, July 1920 - April, 1921 Page: 267
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Donelson's Mission in Behalf of Annexation
the negotiations at Washington in the United States for annex-
ation . . .
Lord Aberdeen observed that Her Britannic Majesty's Govern-
ment and that of France had communicated with each other touch-
ing the "annexation"-that entire harmony of opinions exists,
and that they will act in concert in relation to it:-That though
the rejection of the annexation treaty by the American Senate
was regarded as nearly or quite certain, that nothing would be
done by these governments until the American Congress shall
have finally disposed of the subject for the present session. He
stated that then the British and French governments would be
willing, if Texas desired to remain independent, to settle the whole
matter by a diplomatic act; this diplomatic act, in which Texas
would of course participate, would insure peace. settle boundaries
between Texas and Mexico, and guarantee the separate independ-
ence of Texas.
Lord Aberdeen did not use the word treaty, but employed the
phrase diplomatic act. It would have all the obligations of a
treaty, and would of course be perpetual . . .
Such an act would . . give to the European Governments,
parties to it, a perfect right to forbid, for all time to come, the
annexation of Texas to the United States. . . .
President Houston, on being informed of this proposition, Sep-
tember 25, 1844, instructed Jones to send a dispatch to Smith
authorizing him to "complete the proposed arrangements for the
settlement of our Mexican difficulties as soon as possible.""'
Jones, however, as president-elect, refused to "obey" Houston's
"order," for, according to his indorsement of the instructions,
he thought that it would defeat annexation altogether or lead to
war between Europe and America, that it would produce disturb-
ances and revolutions in Texas, and that it would make it diffi-
cult, if not impossible, for him to administer the government suc-
cessfully.5 Smith, however, said that Jones disobeyed the order
of President Houston because he desired to make the "diplomatic
act" the prominent measure of his own administration, and, judg-
ing from the course pursued by him after he became president,
this seems to have been his real motive. On Smith's return from
Europe, December, 1844, President Jones said to him: "It hardly
"Smith to Jones, June 24, 1844. Jones, Letters Relating to the History
of Annexation, 19.
"Houston to Jones, September 25, 1844. Jones, Letters Relating "to the
History of Annexation, 20.
"Jones, Letters Relating to the Annexation of Texas, 10.267
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 24, July 1920 - April, 1921, periodical, 1921; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101078/m1/273/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.